Volume 19 . No. 03. March 2017
PLAN NOW TO ATTEND DISTRICT AND
ANNUAL MEETINGS OF MEMBERS
District 2
O’Brien County
District 1
Sioux County
Tuesday, March 21
Unity Christian High School in Orange City
Registration & Dinner 5:30-7:00 pm
Business Meeting 7:00 pm
Entertainment – REZA
ON THE INSIDE...
Notice of Annual &
District Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Vehicles for Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Tuesday, March 14
South O’Brien School in Primghar
Registration & Dinner
5:30-7:00 pm
Business Meeting
7:00 pm
Entertainment
South O’Brien Jazz Band
District 3
Plymouth County
Wednesday, March 22
Le Mars Community High School
Registration & Dinner 5:30-7:00 pm
Business Meeting 7:00 pm
Meeting held in
Middle School Auditorium
Entertainment – REZA
Changes to Schedule of Charges . . . . . 3
Manager’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5
Board of Director Nominees . . . . . . . . 6
Youth Tour Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Powerline Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
District 4
Ida County
Thursday, March 16
Skate Palace in Ida Grove
Registration & Dinner 5:30-7:00 pm
Business Meeting 7:00 pm
Entertainment – Jill Miller
NOTICE OF ANNUAL & DISTRICT MEETINGS OF MEMBERS
The District Meeting of Members in District 1 will be held at the Unity Christian High School, Orange City, Sioux County,
Iowa at 7:00 o’clock in the P.M. on Tuesday, the 21st day of March, 2017; and
The District Meeting of Members in District 2 will be held at the South O’Brien School, Primghar, O’Brien County, Iowa at
7:00 o’clock in the P.M. on Tuesday, the 14th day of March, 2017; and
The Annual and District Meeting of Members in District 3 will be held at the Middle School Auditorium of the Le Mars Com­
munity School, Le Mars, Plymouth County, Iowa at 7:00 o’clock in the P.M. on Wednesday, the 22nd day of March, 2017; and
The District Meeting of Members in District 4 will be held at the Skate Palace, Ida Grove, Ida County, Iowa at 7:00 o’clock in
the P.M. on Thursday, the 16th day of March, 2017, to take action on the following matters:
•
•
•
The reports of officers, directors and committees.
The election of one director in District 1, one director in District 3 and one director in District 4, each for a four-year term.
All other business that may come before the meeting or any adjournments thereof.
Dated this 8th day of March, A.D., 2017.
Shirley Benson, Secretary
FOR SALE
2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette Van
V6 3400 SFI engine
White ext. paint w/gray int.
Power windows, locks, and doors
138,324 miles
John Deere 1972 model
2020 Utility Tractor
2,850 hours
Loader and rear blade attachment, chains & heat houser included
The van and tractor will be sold on a bid basis and “as is”. Please call our office for a bid form if interested and mail bids to
North West REC, PO Box 435, Orange City, IA 51041, or bids will be accepted at any of the three cooperative offices until
4:00 pm, March 31, 2017. We reserve the right to accept or reject any bid. The sales will be on a cash basis only.
The van can be seen at the Le Mars office and the tractor can be seen at the Ida Grove office. To view either, please call
712-707-4935 or 800-766-2099.
NEWS Lines
2
CHANGES TO SCHEDULE OF CHARGES
In addition to constructing and maintaining North West REC’s distribution lines, our line crews from time to time provide
services such as assisting with house moves, wind and other projects in our service territory. The Management Team recently
reviewed North West REC’s Schedule of Charges and developed a recommendation for the board’s consideration, which
the Board of Directors approved at their monthly board meeting on January 26, 2017. The following is the changes to the
Schedule of Charges that will become effective April 1, 2017.
Basket/digger trucks, 2 men per hour, one hour minimum, single day
Member
$225.00
Non-Member
$275.00
(for house moves, we need one week notice to notify members – cashier check or cash)
Basket/digger trucks, 2 men per hour, multi-day commercial projects
Member and Non-Member
$350.00
Pick-up truck, one hour minimum, charge per hour
Member
Non-Member
$125.00
$175.00
Setting member’s pole
Sell used pole to member – any size
(We will not set poles for gate posts, basketball hoops, etc.)
$175.00
$125.00
Locate members fault on member’s side, charge per hour
(electrician needs to be present)
$125.00
Service calls
$150.00
$225.00
- during hours
- after hours
If an electrician finds a problem with the North West REC equipment, we will reimburse the member for the electrician’s
call, up to $125.00.
COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS
SELECTS DIRECTOR NOMINEES
The Committee on Nominations met Wednesday, January 18, to select nominees for election of the Board of Directors of North West REC. They will be voted on and elected at the Annual/District Meetings of the Cooperative in March.
Members of the Committee on Nominations: (l-r) Hank Van Der Waal, Boyden; Bill Schroeder, Kingsley; Larry Van Veldhuizen, Hull; Brad Harvey, Akron; Shirley Schroeder, Le Mars; John Burk, Ida Grove; Brian Cronin, Holstein; Adam Schmidt, Le Mars; and Dave Heuer, Rock Valley.
NEWS Lines
3
MANAGER’S REPORT
Member Engagement Survey Results
In connection with our continuing efforts to enhance our engagement with our mem­
bers, we conducted a mail survey in the fourth quarter of 2016. We have completed
tabulation of the returned surveys, and we wanted to share a summary of the results. The
participation level of our members was very good with over 2,500 completed surveys.
This represents a 35% response rate which is excellent for a mail survey.
Lyle D. Korver
What did we learn?
“We will be using
these responses and
comments in our
ongoing planning
of how we can
continue to make
improvements
in the services
we provide our
members.”
• Over 86% of our members read the monthly newsletter and feel it is informative
• 58% prefer to continue to receive the Annual Report through the mail and 42%
prefer reviewing it on our website
• 79% read the Living with Energy magazine that is published by the
Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives
• Regarding Social Media use - 89% of our members use Facebook and
only 1% use Twitter
• 35% indicated they have attended an Annual District meeting within
the last five years
• What is important in decision to attend a District Meeting
o Information – 29%
o Meal – 28%
o Door prizes – 24%
o Entertainment – 19%
• 81% indicated they are familiar with our Beat the Peak program
• 91% said they are familiar with our energy efficiency rebate programs and 69%
indicated it impacted their decision to buy
• 53% indicated they are aware that we offer energy assessments
As we continue to use technology to try to serve our members more effi­
ciently, we asked a couple of related questions.
• 14% said they are using SmartHub (program that gives our members
the ability to pay their bill from their Smart phone or computer) and
97% are satisfied with this program
• 40% indicated they are interested in the SmartHub option that will
send a text message to members after outage restoration
NEWS Lines
4
Since we have been involved with the
solar demonstration project for a couple
of years and have worked with some of
our members who have interconnected
renewable energy installations to our
distribution system, we asked some questions relating to renewable energy.
• Regarding the question of how our members would rate our current involvement
with renewables, 74% said about right; 2% said too involved; 13% said not
involved enough and 11% didn’t respond
• How much would you be willing to pay on your
monthly NWREC bill to support renewables? 68%
indicated nothing; 17% said $10 per month; 2% said
$20 and 13% didn’t respond
• Would you be interested in personally investing in a
community solar project? 13% said yes; 76% indicated
no; 3% said maybe and 8% didn’t respond
and utilities. This was the fourth time North West REC has
conducted a survey to obtain our ACSI score. The graph
below shows the NWREC scores – 88 this year; 90 in 2014;
87 in 2010 and 89 in 2010 – and the REC and other electric
utilities averages. For example, the average ACSI score for
the Touchstone Energy REC’s around the U.S. is 77 and for
investor owned utilities is 72.
This is a summary of the responses and input we received. We
also received some great comments on the various topics. We
will be using these responses and comments in our ongoing
planning of how we can continue to make improvements in
the services we provide our members.
We appreciate the loyalty and support we receive from our
members, and we are very pleased with this very high ACSI
score. There is always room for improvement, and we will
continue to work hard at improving our overall level of service
for our member-owners.
We also asked the four questions that are used by many indus­
tries, including electric utilities, to gauge the level of satisfac­
tion of our members. This is called the American Customer
Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The ACSI is an index that ranks
businesses according to customer expectations, perceived qual­
ity, perceived value and customer loyalty.
Annual District Meetings Scheduled
ACSI Score
95
90
88
90
87
85
89
77
80
72
75
70
65
NWREC ‘16
NWREC ‘14
NWREC ‘10
NWREC ‘09
REC Avg.
IOU/Muni
One of the most important things we do each year is to have
annual district meetings. This gives us the opportunity to
engage with our members and to share information about
the Cooperative’s operations. Once again, we are having four
meetings – one in each district – and the last one is our official
Annual Meeting. We serve a meal, have a short business/
information meeting and then have entertainment that we
hope appeals to all age groups. We recently mailed our annual
report and information about the meetings to each of our
members. Please take a few minutes to look it over and learn
about your Cooperative’s operations this past year.
We also encourage you to attend one of the meetings this year.
As a member-owned organization, the more engaged our
members are with the Cooperative, the more successful we
will be. We look forward to seeing you!
I’m pleased to report that we received a very good overall
score of 88. This is on a scale of 0 to 100. While this is down
slightly from the ACSI score we received in 2014, which was
the last time we conducted a survey of our members, this is
an exceptional score when compared to other organizations
NEWS Lines
5
BOARD OF DIRECTOR NOMINEES
DISTRICT 1 - Sioux County
Steve Abma
• Married to Lavon, two children,
four grandchildren
• Farms near Rock Valley; raises corn
and beans, feeds cattle and nursery
for custom feeding pigs
• Current board member of North
West REC
• Past member of the Sioux County
Extension Council
• Past member of Consistory in
Church
• Past member of school board
• Married to Shelly, three daugh­
ters and one son
• Lives in Rock Valley
• Co-Owner of Valley Plating
• Hobbies include spending time
with family, sports and riding
motorcycle
Mike Vonk
DISTRICT 3 - Plymouth County
Doug Becker
• Wife Peg, Son David & Daughter-in­
law Steph, Daughter Alexis, Dog Reba
• Farmer/Cattle Feeder
• Current Assistant Secretary/Treasurer
of North West REC (NWREC)
• Past board member of Farmers’ Coop
Co, Floyd Valley Grain LLC, Plym­
outh Co Farm Bureau, Plymouth Co
Local Options Sales Tax (LOST)
• Successful completion of Iowa Insti­
tute of Cooperative Training and Farm
Bureau Leadership Forums
• I would be honored to continue to
serve the member-owners of NWREC
by continuing to work with the
current NWREC board and staff,
various state and national legislators
and creating economic development
opportunities
Gregg Roepke
• Gregg & wife Rhonda live east
of Kingsley; have two daughters,
one son and six grandchildren
• Active member of First Luther­
an Church, currently elder of
church
• Currently President of Kingsley-Pierson CSD Foundation
• Former member of Plymouth
Co Fair Board, Kingsley-Pierson
school board and Kingsley Coop
Board
Steve Abma
Mike Vonk
DISTRICT 4 - Ida County
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Married to Sandy, two sons & three grandchildren
Farms NE of Ida Grove, raising corn & beans
Serves as director of Ida Co Veterans Affairs
Member of Horn Memorial Hospital Foundation Board
Serves on the Skate Palace Board of Directors
Serves as Trustee at St Paul Lutheran in Ida Grove
Past board member of Ida County Ag Society
Past board member of Ida County REC during consolidation
Enjoys camping, boating, farming & time with family
Dale Ullrich
NEWS Lines
6
Greg Roepke
Doug Becker
Dale Ullrich
You will note that there is only one name on the ballot. The incumbent director, Raymond Drey, notified the
Nominating Committee that he did not plan to run for re-election, and they had originally nominated two mem­
bers for this position. Just prior to the printing deadline, one of the candidates decided to have his name removed.
While the goal is to have two names on the ballot, this is still in compliance with our By-Laws that call for no
more than two names on the ballot for each director position that is up for election.
YOUTH TOUR CONTEST 2017
Want to visit Washington, D.C.? Who wouldn’t? It’s FUN, it’s FREE and you’ll make lots of FRIENDS!
North West REC is sponsoring the 2017 Youth Tour Contest with two students receiving an allexpense paid trip to Washington, D.C. The trip is scheduled for June 9-15, 2017. There is a $1,000
scholarship for the Iowa representative on the Youth Leadership Council.
All sons and daughters of North West REC member-consumers, who are presently juniors in high
school, are eligible and encouraged to participate.
If you are interested in applying for the youth tour, send in the registration form below, and we
will then send you an application form. The application is available on our website at www.nwrec.coop or you can e-mail
Lorraine at [email protected] and she will mail you an application. If you have any questions, please call Lorraine at
712-707-4935 or 1-800-766-2099.
The Youth Tour Contest application should be returned to the REC no later than Friday, March 24, 2017.
The Board of Directors and management encourage all who are eligible to enter the Youth Tour Contest for an exciting
educational experience.
2017 YOUTH TOUR CONTEST REGISTRATION
YES, I am interested in entering the contest. Please send me the application form.
NAME ______________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________
PHONE _____________________________________________________________
MAIL TO: North West REC
Attn: Lorraine
PO Box 435
Orange City, IA 51041
PARENT’S NAME_____________________________________________________
REMINDER ABOUT MAILING . . .
Watch your mail for your Annual District Meeting mailing which will include
your registration card. Please bring this card with you when coming to the
meeting. It will be used for the drawing of door prizes.
You will also receive your “ballot for director” in this mailing if you are a
member in Districts 1, 3 and 4. Be sure to vote and mail your ballot to
the cooperative in the envelope included in the mailing. Note to District 2
members: There will not be an election for directors in District 2.
NEWS Lines
7
NORTH WEST REC OFFERS
POWERLINE SCHOLARSHIPS
North West REC is again sponsoring a powerline scholarship. This program is designed to assist persons enrolled in a course
of powerline training at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon.
A $500 scholarship will be awarded to an individual who has met the eligibility requirements. To be considered for the
scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
• Reside in the four county area served by North West REC
(Ida, Plymouth, O’Brien and Sioux Counties)
• Be a member or the child of a member of North West REC
• Be accepted as a full time student in the powerline program at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon
• File a scholarship application with North West REC by Friday, March 31, 2017
All applicants are required to submit an application form as well as their most recent academic transcript. The criteria for the
award will be based upon community and school activities, potential for success and grade
point average.
A check will be made out to both the recipient and Northwest Iowa Community College
and will be sent to the recipient prior to the beginning of the second semester of course
work.
For an application or more information, contact:
North West REC • Attn: Lorraine
PO Box 435 • Orange City, IA 51041 • 800-766-2099
[email protected]
North West Rural Electric Cooperative
P.O. Box 435 • 1505 Albany Place SE • Orange City, IA 51041-0435
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
7:30 a.m. till 4:00 p.m.
Orange City office open
during noon hour
Le Mars office
closed 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
Ida Grove office
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Mon-Fri
Phone:
ORANGE CITY
(712) 707-4935
(800) 766-2099
IDA GROVE
(712) 364-3341
LE MARS
(712) 546-4149
Outside Depository Available
for After Hours Payments
Lyle D . Korver
CEO & General Manager
Curt Ahrenholz
Finance & Office
Services Director
Lorraine Egdorf
Editor